The mineral selenium is present in the cells of the kidneys, liver, pancreas, spleen and testes. Selenium plays a critical role in the liver's normal function and is necessary for the liver to convert T4 into the active T3 form of thyroid hormone, which all the cells in the body need to function properly.
Protects Against Free Radical Damage
Selenium as an antioxidant nutrient helps protect liver tissue from damage caused by free radicals -- the waste products of metabolism. Free radicals damage the body's cells, increasing the risk of chronic diseases. Dietary deficiencies, especially deficiencies in antioxidant nutrients, generate free radicals that can lead to liver cell damage. These unbalanced cells in your body harm healthy cells by stealing electrons. When the cells of an organ are unable to perform their job, the disease process can set in. Antioxidant nutrients such as selenium have extra electrons that work to stabilize free radicals. Other antioxidant nutrients include manganese, beta-carotene, ascorbic acid or vitamin C and alpha-tocopherol, a form of vitamin E. The body converts beta-carotene to vitamin A.
Strengthens the Immune System
Together with vitamin E, selenium works to strengthen the immune system. This trace mineral helps to produce antibodies, proteins in the blood and lymph that destroy bacteria, viruses and parasites that attack the body. B-lymphocytes, which are formed in the bone marrow, are responsible for producing antibodies. B cells play a critical role in the repair of liver tissue following hepatic injury, according to the findings of a study published in the November 2005 issue of the "Journal of Clinical Investigation." These cells account for about half of all the white blood cells present within the liver. The liver is the only of the body's organs that can repair damaged tissue with new cells as long as scar tissue has not developed.
Deficiency
Deficiency of this trace mineral can lead to premature aging and liver damage as selenium preserves tissue elasticity. For people with chronic liver disease, excessive scarring often leads to cirrhosis and loss of liver function, which may eventually progress to liver failure. Maintaining elasticity of liver tissue is essential as hard, fibrous tissue interferes with normal liver function. Selenium deficiency can also lead to thyroid problems. Because selenium plays a key role in the availability of thyroid hormone, impaired liver function can contribute to hypothyroidism.
Food Sources
Most people get enough selenium in their daily diets. Food sources of selenium include seafood, poultry and meat. Dried Brazil nuts also have high selenium content. Brown rice and oats are other foods that provide selenium in the diet, although amounts can vary depending on how much selenium is present in the soil where these grains are grown. Deficiency is rare, if you don't get enough selenium in your diet, you may suffer from generalized fatigue, muscle weakness and symptoms of hypothyroidism. Fatigue and weakness are symptoms that also occur with liver disease.
References
- University of Iowa; Liver Disease; Douglas LaBrecque; May 2001
- "Journal of Clinical Investigation"; Attenuated Liver Fibrosis in the Absence of B Cells; Tatiana Novobrantseva, et al.; November 2005
- Netplaces; Selenium; Theodore Friedman, et al.; 2006
- HappyNutritionist.com; Free Radicals and Anitoxidants; Claudia Meydrech; February 2011
- LiverSupport.com; Selenium Boosts Liver Protection Regimens; Nicole Cutler; December 2010
